Method and apparatus for optimizing the operation of a cochlear implant prosthesis

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for controlling the operation of a Cochlear implant prosthesis to optimize the effect of stimulation for a given patient. The optimal operation mode is determined in accordance with predetermined parameters measured from the neural response of the patient's auditory system in response to a neural stimulation.

The claims defining the invention are as follows: 
     
       1. A method for optimizing a speech processing strategy configured to convert a speech signal into an electrical stimulation signal in a cochlear implant having one or more electrodes implanted in an inner ear of a patient, the method comprising:
 measuring with said one or more electrodes at least one spatial property of a neural response of the inner-ear of the patient; and 
 adjusting a strategy parameter of said speech processing strategy based on said at least one neural response property. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said strategy parameter comprises a parameter intrinsic to said speech processing strategy that affects the representation of said speech signal by said stimulation signal. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said adjusting said strategy parameter comprises:
 varying the sequence in which stimulation will be delivered to said one or more electrodes so as to minimize interaction between stimulation pulses of said stimulation. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more electrodes comprise a plurality of electrodes, and wherein said adjusting said strategy parameter comprises:
 selecting which of said plurality of electrodes will be used to deliver said stimulation to the recipient. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said adjusting said strategy parameter comprises:
 selecting a rate at which stimulation will be delivered to said one or more electrodes of said cochlear implant. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said measuring said at least one neural response property comprises:
 providing at least one electrical stimulus to the inner-ear of the patient with at least one of said one or more electrodes; 
 recording a time-varying electrical potential within the inner-ear via at least one of said one or more electrodes; and 
 determining said at least one property of said neural response from said recorded time varying electrical potential. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein said time-varying electrical potential is recorded in one or more of the cochlea nucleus or auditory nerve. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6 , wherein said at least one electrode used to record said time-varying electrical potential is the same at least one electrode used to provide said at least one electrical stimulus. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 6 , wherein said at least one electrical stimulus provided to the inner-ear may be varied depending on a neural response property to be measured. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said measuring said at least one spatial neural response property comprises delivering an electrical stimulus to the inner-ear, and wherein said spatial property is the spread of said electrical stimulus. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said cochlear implant further includes a processor integrated therein, said processor configured to measure said at least one neural response property and adjust said strategy parameter based on said measured at least one neural response property. 
     
     
       12. A method for optimizing a conditioning stimulus delivered via one or more electrodes implanted in an inner ear of the patient, the method comprising:
 measuring with said one or more electrodes at least one property of a neural response of the inner-ear of the patient; and 
 adjusting said conditioning stimulus so as to maximize stochastic variability provided by said conditioning stimulus based on said at least one neural response property. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein said adjusting said conditioning stimulus comprises:
 adjusting the intensity of said conditioning stimulus based on said at least one neural response property. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein said adjusting said conditioning stimulus comprises:
 adjusting the rate of said conditioning stimulus based on said at least one neural response property. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 12 , wherein measuring said at least one neural response property comprises:
 providing at least one electrical stimulus to the inner-ear of the patient with at least one of said one or more electrodes; 
 recording a time-varying electrical potential within the inner-ear via at least one of said one or more electrodes; and 
 determining said at least one property of said neural response from said recorded time varying electrical potential. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein said time-varying electrical potential is recorded in one or more of the cochlea nucleus or auditory nerve. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , wherein said at least one electrode used to record said time-varying electrical potential is the same at least one electrode used to provide said at least one electrical stimulus. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15 , wherein said at least one electrical stimulus provided to the inner-ear may be varied depending on a neural response property to be measured. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 12 , wherein said at least one neural response property is a temporal property of said neural response. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein said temporal property is a latency period between an occurrence of a first identifiable feature of said neural response to an occurrence of a second identifiable feature of said neural response. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 12 , wherein said at least one neural response property is a spatial property of said neural response. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , wherein said measuring said at least one neural response property comprises delivering an electrical stimulus to the inner-ear, and wherein said spatial property is the spread of said electrical stimulus. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 12 , wherein said at least one neural response property is a spatio-temporal property of said neural response. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 23 , wherein said measuring said at least one neural response property comprises delivering at least first and second stimuli, and wherein said spatial property comprises the influence of said second stimuli on said response resulting from said first stimuli. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said cochlear implant further includes a processor integrated therein, said processor configured to measure said at least one neural response property and adjust said conditioning stimulus based on said measured at least one neural response property. 
     
     
       26. A method for selecting one of a plurality of speech processing strategies each of which converts speech signals into electrical stimulation signals in a cochlear implant having one or more electrodes implanted in an inner ear of a patient, the method comprising:
 measuring with said one or more electrodes at least one property of a neural response of the inner-ear of the patient; and 
 selecting one of said plurality of speech processing strategies based on said at least one neural response property, 
 wherein said at least one neural response property is a spatial property of said neural response. 
 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 26 , wherein said selecting said speech processing strategy comprises:
 selecting a speech processing strategy configured to convert an input speech signal into an electrical stimulation signal having a high pulse rate. 
 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 26 , wherein said selecting a speech processing strategy comprises:
 selecting a speech processing strategy configured to convert an input speech signal into an electrical stimulation signal having a low pulse rate. 
 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 26 , wherein said measuring said at least one neural response property comprises:
 providing at least one electrical stimulus to the inner-ear of the patient with at least one of said one or more electrodes; 
 recording a time-varying electrical potential within the inner-ear via at least one of said one or more electrodes; and 
 determining said at least one property of said neural response from said recorded time varying electrical potential. 
 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 29 , wherein said time-varying electrical potential is recorded in one or more of the cochlea nucleus or auditory nerve. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 29 , wherein said at least one electrode used to record said time-varying electrical potential is the same at least one electrode used to provide said at least one electrical stimulus. 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 29 , wherein said at least one electrical stimulus provided to the inner-ear may be varied depending on a neural response property to be measured. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 26 , wherein said measuring said at least one neural response property comprises delivering an electrical stimulus to the inner-ear, and wherein said spatial property is the spread of said electrical stimulus. 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 26 , wherein said cochlear implant further includes a processor integrated therein, said processor configured to measure said at least one neural response property and to select said speech processing strategy based on said measured at least one neural response property. 
     
     
       35. A method for selecting one of a plurality of speech processing strategies each of which converts speech signals into electrical stimulation signals in a cochlear implant having one or more electrodes implanted in an inner ear of a patient, the method comprising:
 measuring with said one or more electrodes at least one property of a neural response of the inner-ear of the patient; and 
 selecting one of said plurality of speech processing strategies based on said at least one neural response property, 
 wherein said at least one neural response property is a spatio-temporal property of said neural response. 
 
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 35 , wherein said selecting said speech processing strategy comprises:
 selecting a speech processing strategy configured to convert an input speech signal into an electrical stimulation signal having a high pulse rate. 
 
     
     
       37. The method of  claim 35 , wherein said selecting a speech processing strategy comprises:
 selecting a speech processing strategy configured to convert an input speech signal into an electrical stimulation signal having a low pulse rate. 
 
     
     
       38. The method of  claim 35 , wherein said measuring said at least one neural response property comprises:
 providing at least one electrical stimulus to the inner-ear of the patient with at least one of said one or more electrodes; 
 recording a time-varying electrical potential within the inner-ear via at least one of said one or more electrodes; and 
 determining said at least one property of said neural response from said recorded time varying electrical potential. 
 
     
     
       39. The method of  claim 38 , wherein said time-varying electrical potential is recorded in one or more of the cochlea nucleus or auditory nerve. 
     
     
       40. The method of  claim 38 , wherein said at least one electrode used to record said time-varying electrical potential is the same at least one electrode used to provide said at least one electrical stimulus. 
     
     
       41. The method of  claim 38 , wherein said at least one electrical stimulus provided to the inner-ear may be varied depending on a neural response property to be measured. 
     
     
       42. The method of  claim 35 , wherein said measuring said at least one neural response property comprises delivering at least first and second stimuli, and wherein said spatial property comprises the influence of said second stimuli on said response resulting from said first stimuli. 
     
     
       43. The method of  claim 35 , wherein said cochlear implant further includes a processor integrated therein, said processor configured to measure said at least one neural response property and to select said speech processing strategy based on said measured at least one neural response property. 
     
     
       44. A method for optimizing a speech processing strategy configured to convert a speech signal into an electrical stimulation signal in a cochlear implant having one or more electrodes implanted in an inner ear of a patient, the method comprising:
 measuring with said one or more electrodes at least one spatio-temporal property of a neural response of the inner-ear of the patient; and 
 adjusting a strategy parameter of said speech processing strategy based on said at least one neural response property. 
 
     
     
       45. The method of  claim 44 , wherein said strategy parameter comprises a parameter intrinsic to said speech processing strategy that affects the representation of said speech signal by said stimulation signal. 
     
     
       46. The method of  claim 44 , wherein said adjusting said strategy parameter comprises:
 varying the sequence in which stimulation will be delivered to said one or more electrodes so as to minimize interaction between stimulation pulses of said stimulation. 
 
     
     
       47. The method of  claim 44 , wherein said one or more electrodes comprise a plurality of electrodes, and wherein said adjusting said strategy parameter comprises:
 selecting which of said plurality of electrodes will be used to deliver said stimulation to the recipient. 
 
     
     
       48. The method of  claim 44 , wherein said adjusting said strategy parameter comprises:
 selecting a rate at which stimulation will be delivered to said one or more electrodes of said cochlear implant. 
 
     
     
       49. The method of  claim 44 , wherein said measuring said at least one neural response property comprises:
 providing at least one electrical stimulus to the inner-ear of the patient with at least one of said one or more electrodes; 
 recording a time-varying electrical potential within the inner-ear via at least one of said one or more electrodes; and 
 determining said at least one property of said neural response from said recorded time varying electrical potential. 
 
     
     
       50. The method of  claim 49 , wherein said time-varying electrical potential is recorded in one or more of the cochlea nucleus or auditory nerve. 
     
     
       51. The method of  claim 49 , wherein said at least one electrode used to record said time-varying electrical potential is the same at least one electrode used to provide said at least one electrical stimulus. 
     
     
       52. The method of  claim 49 , wherein said at least one electrical stimulus provided to the inner-ear may be varied depending on a neural response property to be measured. 
     
     
       53. The method of  claim 44 , wherein said measuring said at least one spatio-temporal neural response property comprises delivering at least first and second stimuli, and wherein said spatial-temporal property comprises the influence of said second stimuli on said response resulting from said first stimuli. 
     
     
       54. The method of  claim 44 , wherein said cochlear implant further includes a processor integrated therein, said processor configured to measure said at least one neural response property and adjust said strategy parameter based on said measured at least one neural response property. 
     
     
       55. The method of  claim 44 , wherein said cochlear implant further includes a processor integrated therein, said processor configured to measure said at least one neural response property and adjust a conditioning stimulus based on said measured at least one neural response property.